Prosecutors ask 3-Year Sentence in ‘Fappening’ Case for ex-teacher

Fappening case – Federal prosecutors requested a 3-year prison sentence for a former Virginia high school teacher convicted of hacking into private digital accounts of celebrities and others.

Federal prosecutors requested a 3-year prison sentence for
Christopher Brannan(31), a former Virginia high school teacher, that was convicted of hacking into private digital accounts of celebrities and others.

In October 2018, Brannan pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access to a protected computer.

“According to court documents, Christopher Brannan, 31, a former teacher at Lee-Davis High School, intentionally accessed without authorization internet and email accounts, including Apple iCloud, Yahoo!, and Facebook accounts, and thereby obtained complete iCloud backups, photographs, and other private information belonging to more than 200 victims, including both celebrities and noncelebrities.” reported the DoJ.

“He hacked email accounts by answering security questions that he could easily research by reviewing victims’ Facebook accounts. Brannan also gained access to victims’ accounts by using phishing email accounts to send fraudulent email addresses designed to look like legitimate security accounts from Apple, misrepresenting to the victims that the emails had come from Apple in order to obtain username and password information for the victims’ internet accounts.”

Brannan along with another four people was charged in the 2014 Fappening scandal in which hackers obtained private and nude photos from hundreds of individuals.

As part of the Fappening case, nude pictures of many celebrities were leaked online, the list of victims is long and includes Kim Kardashian, Kate Upton, and Jennifer Lawrence.

“Brannon is a former teacher at Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville.” reported the Associated Press.

“Federal prosecutors are recommending a prison term of 34 months for a former Lee-Davis High School teacher convicted of hacking the private digital accounts of celebrities and others.” reports The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“Christopher Brannan, 31, pleaded guilty in October to unauthorized access of a protected computer and to aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson who will sentence him March 1. Federal sentencing guidelines, not binding on the judge, call for a term of 34 to 40 months.”

Sentencing is scheduled for March 1 in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

In January 2018, George Garofano (26), of North Branford, has been charged with hacking into over 250 Apple iCloud accounts belonging to celebrities.

Garofano is the fourth man charged in connection with the Fappening saga, in past months Emilio Herrera, Edward Majerczyk, Ryan Collins, pleaded guilty to being involved in the attacks on the celebrities’ iCloud accounts. Collins was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, Majerczyk to nine months and Herrera is waiting for sentencing next month.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – Fappening, hacking)

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